Electric bath cabinet



June 11, 1929. 1 sc uj ELECTRIC BATI-I CABINET.

Fild Dec. 16, I927 2 Sheets-Sheet June 11, 1929. J, SCHWDT 1,716,603

' ELECTRIC BATH CABINET Filed Dec. 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedJune 11, 1929.

warren STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH SCHMIDT, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB. 'IO SCHMIDT SHEET METALWORKS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC BATH CABINET.

Application filed. December 16, 1927. Serial No. 240,521.

This invention relates to improvements in a radiant-heat bath cabinet inwhich individuals may expose themselves to the beneficial radiant heatwaves and rays emanating from a source, such as incandescent lamps.

It has long been known that thermal baths are very beneficial andeffective in the curative treatment of various diseases and ailments,and various attempts have been made to provide a radiant-heat bathcabinet of a practical design and one in which the radiant heat may becontrolled to be most efficacious in its difiusion onto the body of thepatient. Many of these attempts have resulted in crude and elementaryconstructions which have not readily adapted themselves to the use ofeither home or hospital.

The present invention has for an object the provision of a cabinetwhich, for storage purposes, may be easily collapsed into a compactform, and which, when unfolded for use, will possess that degree ofrigidness and substantiality which is so essential and desirable in thistype of bath cabinet.

The invention has for a further object the provision of a thermal bathcabinet of the radiant-heat type in which the radiant heat may beeffectively controlled for the application of the curative to certainportions of the body, as well as one in which the controlled radiantheat may be diffused directly or indirectly against the body of thepatient.

The invention has for further objects to provide an improved, extensiblecabinet section having a cover portion which cooperates in a manner toaccord a substantial reinforce ment to the distended cabinet section; toimprove the formation of the neck opening of the cabinet forfacilitating a-close fit about the neck; and to provide a. sectionalsource of radiant heat with independent controls for the differentsections thereof whereby a plurality of heating zones are obtained whichare selectively operable.

The invention further resides in the salient features of constructionhereinafter described in detail and succinctly set forth in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein,

. Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the improved bath cabinet in itsoperative position,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section therethrough,

Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical section through the cabinet,

Fig. 4: is a longitudinal, vertical section through the cabinet,

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the cabinet in its collapsed form,

Fig. 6 is a detailed plan view of the removable cover, and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the wiring circuits. 2

- Referring more in detail to theaccompanying drawings, the bath cabinetcomprises a fixed or main section 1 and an extensible and foldablesection 2, the former comprising a rigid back 8 having vertical sidewalls 4;, a top 5 and a bottom 6, the side walls, top and bottomextending forwardly from the back wall 3 and being fixed thereto wherebya boxlike, rigid section 1 is produced. The foldable and extensiblesection 2 of the cabinet comprises two side walls 7 and 8 which aresecured to the vertical free edges of the fixed side walls 4 by hinges 9whereby said movable side walls may be readily folded into the box-like,fixed section 1. They are prevented from swinging outwardly by theinwardly extending stops 7 and 8 which are formed by turning inwardlyupon itself the free edge portion of each fixed wall, as shown in Fig.2. One leaf of each hinge 9 is disposed beneath this turned free edgeand secured, as by rivets. The other hinge leaf is fitted in anoutwardly opening pocket, formed by a reverse bend in the adjacent edgeof the hinged wall, and secured by other rivets. Attached to the free,vertical edge of the side wall 8, as by a hinged connection 10, is thefront wall 11 which has its opposite, vertical edge portions angularlydeflected and form ing wall sections 12 designed for supplementing thewalls 7 and 8 and giving symmetry to the general design of the cabinet.The adjacent, vertical edges of the walls 8 and 11 are formed withreverse bends to provide opposing pockets in which the leaves of hinge10 are secured. The opposite, vertical edge of the front wall istelescopical into a pocket 7 in the adjacent, vertical edge of side wall7 where it may be secured as by a lock pin 12.

In its extended formation, the extensible section 2 is provided with aremovable cover 13 havin a depending flange 14 around iii) three of itssides for engaging about the upper marginal portions of the walls 7, 8and 11. The front wall 11 is preferably narrower in the width than thefixed section 1 so that the side walls 7 and 8 will converge. Thisprovides a narrower space for the legs of the patient and the convergingalls 7 and 8 deflect the heat waves inwardly into this restricted space.The inner edge of cover 18 is turned downwardly for engaging over theforward, upturned edge 16 of the fixed top 5 to interlock therewith. Apair of cleats 13 on the cover pass beneath the edge 16 to preventupward displacement of the edge 15, while a lug 13 is disposedimmediately behind the front wall 11 to strengthen the same. Thisconstruction provides a readily removable cover which is not hinged tothe body of the cabinet at any point and yet is securely positionable onthe cabinet when in use. A neck-closure plate 17 is hinged to the edge15 of the cover for closing the entrance way to the neck opening 18, thelatter being provided in the fixed top wall 5.

After the patient has placed his neck in the opening 18, the cover 13may then be positioned and the closure plate 17 swung over beneath hischin so that a comparatively close or tight fit about his neck will beobtained, said closure plate having a complemental neck opening 17therein.

A plurality of sources of radiant heat, preferably in the form ofincandescent lamps, are arranged for selective operation, the sourceshere depicted comprising upper and lower sets 19 and individuallycontrolled by means of the switches 19 and 20, respectively, wherebydifferent portions of the body of the patient may be treated whendesired. These upper and lower sets are arranged at the .most desiredpoints in the cabinet, such as in each rear vertical corner of the fixedsect-ion 1 and also on the front. wall 11 adacent the free wall section12, the latter serving as a protector for the adjacent series of lampswhen in use as well as when folded since said flanged wall extendsrearwardly alongside of the lamps to a more or less extent. The controlsor switches 19' and 20 are depicted as being mounted on the top 5 in aposition accessible both to the patient or his attendant, the closureplate 17, being swingable to an inoperative position for enlarging theneck opening to such an extent as to permit the patient to pass his armtherethrough to reach the switches. Upon closing the switch 19 the uppersets of lamps, three sets here being shown, will be turned on, andshould the use of the lower sets of lamps likewise be desired, theswitch 20 will be closed and vice versa.

The patient, by reason of the location of the neck opening 18 in thefixed section, will be disposed in proximity to the rear sets of lampsand therefore in order to prevent injury by the direct application oftoo much radiant heat, a pair of deflectors or guards 21 are hinged tothe back wall 3, one deflector being positioned adjacent the left-handsets of lamps and the other deflector being disposed adjacent theright-hand sets of lamps, these deflectors being hinged about verticalpivots so as to be swung from a position against the rear wall to aposition extending at right angles therefrom, or any intermediateposition such as is indicated by the dotted lines, whereby more or lessof the radiant heat may be directly diffused onto the body of thepatient. hen the deflectors are swung outwardly to their fullest extentthe body of the patient will be protected against any direct radiationfrom the lamps and the concentrated light and heat rays will be confinedand restricted to a forward path of movement along the sides of thecabinet until deflected inwardly by the converging walls 7 and 8,thereby creating heat eddies or currents within the cabinet and aboutthe body of the patient.

In use, the front all 11 will be swung open to permit the patient togain an entrance to the cabinet, and either sit therein on a stool,indicated at or otherwise dispose himself therein with his headextending above the neck opening 18. The front wall is now closed andthe removable cover 13 placed upon the foldable and extensible section 2with the rear edge 15 interlocked over the upturned edge 16 of the top.Before lowering the closure plate 17 about his neck, the patient mayturn on either or both switches 19 and 20 following which said closureplate is lowered beneath his chin to provide a comparatively close fitfor trapping the heat within the cabinet. T he stool or chair 22 isconveniently located on the bottom or floor 4: whereby the weight of thepatient will tend to anchor the cabinet in position.

\Vhat is claimed is,

1. A bath cabinet comprising a main section having vertical side edges,side walls hinged to said vertical edges and foldable into the mainsection, a front wall hinged to one side wall and having an angularextension, said angular extension being foldable against the inside ofsaid specified side wall, a cover engaging over the side walls, frontwall and removably interlocked with said main section for preventingupward displacement of said cover, a source of heatcarried by the frontwall, and a source of heat carried by the main section.

2. A bath cabinet comprising a box-like section having a neck openingthrough one edge thereof, an extensible section associated with thebox-like section and including a cover one edge of which extends acrossthe entrance Way to said neck opening, and a closure plate hinged tosaid cover edge for swinging about a substantially horizontal axis overthe entrance way of said neck opening to reduce its size about the neckof the patient, said closure plate being operatively supported by saidbox-like section.

3. A bath cabinet having spaced series of radiant heat units betweenwhich a patient disnoses himself, and a deflector for each series ofradiant heat units movable to a position for cutting oil the directapplication of radiant heat from said units to the body of the patient,said deflectors being held against cutting off the radiant heat entirelyfrom the cabinet whereby the patient will have an indirect applicationof the radiant heat to his body.

4:. A bath cabinet comprising a main section and an extensible sectionfoldable thereinto, said main section having a fixed top wall with aneck opening extending through its free edge, a removable cover forminga top wallfor the extensible section, the rear edge of said coverengaging over said edge oi said fixed top wall and extending across theentrance way to the neck opening, a cleat carried by the cover andengageable beneath the free edge of said fixed top wall for securing thecover against upward movement, and a neck closure plate hinged to therear edge of said cover for swinging about a substantially horizontalaxis to partly extend over the neck opening of said fixed top wall tocontract the size thereof.

5. A bath cabinet comprising a box-like main section, side walls hingedto the opposite side edges of said main section for swinging inwardly,stop shoulders formed on the main section for limiting the outwardswinging of said side walls and operatively positioning the same, thefree edge of one side wall being formed with a pocket, a closure memberhinged to the free edge of the com panion wall member and having aflange part for fitting into said pocket, means securing said flangepart in its pocket, and a cover engaging over the upper edges of saidside walls and closure member and removably interlocking with said mainsection.

6. A bath cabinet comprising a main section with a neck opening in itstop wall, an extensible section connected to the main section, removablecover forming a top for the extensible section, a neck closure membercarried by said cover and movable thereover about a substantiallyhorizontal axis to contract the size of its neck opening, said top wallsupporting said neck closure member, and means connecting the cover tosaid top wall against upward displacement.

JOSEPH SCHMIDT.

